A Vampire's Soul
by Dark Jedi Princess
Summary: AU Ryou, a 500yearold vampire, is but a child compared to his 3,000yearold Sire, Bakura. Their travels have taken them to Domino City, in Japan, where a local vampire is unwilling to give up his territory to the newcomers. YxY, RxOC [FINISHED!]
1. The Embrace

**Disclaimer**: _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ ain't mine. Plain and simple. 

**Author's Note**: Hello there and welcome to my first (and prolly only) Canon…ish YGO! Story. =P This is the first time I've even considered writing something close to the Canon, even though it IS technically still AU. My passion for Vampires has finally merged with my love of _Yu-Gi-Oh!_, so here's the result. I've really only got one OC in here. Her name's Kat, and she's from America. This is also my first time writing Amane Bakura, Ryou's older sister, and since no-one's really ever seen her in the anime or Manga, I'm just gonna improvise with her appearance. Also, Ryou's family is going to be British. It just makes more sense to me, given the circumstances of this story. I think that's everything, and unless I have something important to say, this'll be the last Author's Note. Ja mata ne!  
**::Dark Jedi Princess::**

**QUOTE TYPES**

"Normal"  
"_Foreign Language_"  
[Bakura Thought Speech]  
/Ryou Thought Speech/  
{Yami Thought Speech}  
Stressed Words  
_Thoughts_

**Story Title::** "A Vampire's Soul"  
**Genre::** Fantasy/Romance/Supernatural  
**Rating::** R  
**Reasons::** Sexual content, language, violence  
**Romance Pairings::** Ryou/Kat (OC), Yuugi/Yami  
**Summary::** Ryou, a 500-year-old vampire, is but a child compared to his 3,000-year-old Sire, Bakura. Their travels have taken them to Domino City, in Japan, where a local vampire is unwilling to give up his territory to the newcomers. Posing as a High School student, Ryou finds himself falling in love with the new American transfer student. A student who happens to be mortal… 

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 1: The Embrace_**

  
  
**England, 1503 AD**

A loud howl tore through the night air as Ryou ran from the forest clearing that he'd followed his sister Amane to. He looked back just long enough to see a large silver-white she-wolf chase after him. He panicked and ran faster, tripping over a large boulder. The wolf pounced on him and tore at him with her claws. He yelled and tried to force her off of him. She snarled, her jaws dangerously close to his neck.

Quite suddenly, the wolf was pulled, bodily, from on top of Ryou. The wolf growled and snapped at the young man who'd tugged her away from him. 

"Damn werewolf!" The man yelled in a tenor-pitched, gravely voice. "_Hi-i kesi en a'a'ew_!" The wolf fell limp in his arms, and he laid her gently on the ground. 

"Wha—Who…" Ryou barely got his mouth around the words when he passed out cold.  


* * *

When Ryou came to, he was in his bed at home. "Amane!" He yelled, desperately, sitting up an wincing as pain shot through his arms and torso. 

"Relax, young one. She's asleep. Your father's watching over her." 

Ryou glanced to his left. Sitting beside his bed was a young man with tanned skin, brown eyes, and wild, silver white hair that fell past his shoulders. His voice was tenor-pitched and gravely, with an English accent, although his exotic look suggested that he wasn't from England. 

"Who are you?" He asked, weakly. 

"My name is Bakura. Yours is Ryou, correct?" 

"Yes…" 

"And your sister's is Amane?" 

"Yes… How do you know that?" 

"I spoke to your father…" 

"Wh—what happened…?" 

"Your sister attacked you." 

"No… a wolf attacked me." 

"That wolf was your sister." 

"Impossible…" 

"She was bitten by a werewolf a month ago. Last night was her first transformation. The werewolf… it makes no distinction between its loved ones and its food while it is in wolf form. She didn't know it was you." 

"How do you know that?" Ryou asked, suspiciously. 

"Your father told me she came back from the woods with a bite mark on her right arm, assumed she'd been bitten by an animal." 

"She's a werewolf?" 

"Yes, and during the full moon, she won't be able to recognize you… That is, unless…" 

"Unless what?!" Ryou asked frantically. 

"…Unless you accept the offer I'm about to make you." 

"What… offer is that?" 

Bakura chuckled and leaned in closer to Ryou. "The only reason your sister didn't attempt to eat me is because I'm not human. According to some other werewolves I've met, my kind… 'reek of death'." He chuckled wryly. 

"If you're not human… what are you?" 

"A vampire." 

Ryou edged backwards against his pillow. 

"I'm offering you a chance… a chance to be with Amane during the full moon," Bakura said, seriously. "I'm offering you eternal life." 

"Why me? Why are you even asking? Can't you just…" 

"It's against the 'rules'," Bakura said, dryly. "We have to ask before we Embrace a human. It's only polite." 

"But why me?" 

"Because…" Bakura sighed. "I need a companion. I've spent too much of my eternal life alone. My only request… if I Embrace you… is that you accompany me in my travels… We can have Amane with us… It's best if she doesn't hang around, anyway, the villagers might get upset after what happened last night…" 

"That's the catch?" 

"The only one." 

Ryou thought it over. He cared deeply for Amane, he wanted to be there for her when she transformed… but he didn't want to be damned to an eternity of darkness and bloodlust. 

Bakura seemed to know what he was thinking. "It's not that bad… this life. We can go out into the sunlight, despite popular belief, and can essentially pass as human…" 

Ryou took in a few deep breaths. "I… I love Amane… would she attack me if…?" 

"No. She'd know you weren't… potential food." Ryou sighed. "…Alright. Alright. Do it. Just… make it quick." 

"Wouldn't have it any other way…" 

Bakura's eyes took on a reddish hue, turning them the colour of terra cotta. His fingernails grew out into claws. He seized Ryou by the shoulders and sank his fangs into Ryou's neck. Ryou gasped but didn't scream, not wanting to alert his father to what was happening. He felt Bakura draining his blood. When Bakura stopped, Ryou closed his eyes and let his head fall against Bakura's shoulder. 

Bakura squeezed his eyes shut and sliced his arm open with his claws, letting out a pained gasp. He lifted Ryou's head and forced his mouth against his blood-soaked arm. Ryou took his blood, then collapsed. 

Half an hour later, Ryou came to again, screaming loudly. 

"Quiet!" Bakura hissed. "You want your father to know what happened?!" 

"It hurts… It hurts so much…" Ryou moaned. "My muscles… My whole body, it's… it's on fire…" 

"Well, be quiet about it…" Bakura said, softly. "The pain will go away soon…" 

Ryou stood up shakily, pulling on his shirt and vest. He went into the next room, watching his sister slowly wake up, eyeing the cuts and scratches along her arms. His father was asleep. "Amane…" Ryou whispered. 

"Ryou…?" She took in a breath and coughed. "My God, you reek of death…" 

"Amane… let's get out of here… we can't stay…" 

"What… Ryou? Why?" 

"Don't ask… I'll explain on the way… Come on, Amane…" Ryou helped her up and led her outside, with Bakura in tow. 

"Ryou, what's going on…?" 

"We can't stay here… we have to leave…" Ryou said, breathing hard, though not taking in any air. "I've… done something for you… so I can be with you when you transform…" 

"What?!" 

Ryou hesitated, and explained everything to her. By the time he had finished, they were out of the village and in the open, night air. 

"I'll be there, I'll help you," Ryou whispered to his sister. "We'll help you…" He glanced backwards, then hugged her. "It'll be alright. It will…" 

Bakura chuckled. "Ryou and Amane… Welcome to the darkness."


	2. Blood Moon

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 2: Blood Moon_**

  
  
"Moonrise in five… four… three… two… one…" 

A yell tore through the air as the full moon rose over the low hilltops surrounding the village Ryou and Bakura had settled in. Amane convulsed and fell to her knees, her hoarse cry turning slowly into a loud howl. 

Ryou tried to remain calm throughout her transformation. Apart from hating to see her in pain, this was her second transformation, and the first since Ryou had been Embraced. Bakura had taught him the basics of magic (which all vampires could practice) in the past month. Enough so that Ryou might be able to exercise some control over Amane on the full moon. 

As Amane finished the transformation and stalked towards them, growling softly, Ryou took in a breath and spoke the words, in Ancient Egyptian, the Bakura had told him to use. As he finished the incantation, Amane slowed her pace and laid down on the ground, amber eyes glimmering in the dark. 

Ryou sighed in relief. "I think it worked." 

Bakura looked, thoughtfully, at the village below them. "Hmmm… Should we let her loose into the village?" 

Ryou looked surprised. "I'm not sure she'd like it if she found out we let her kill." 

"Yes, but can we deny her… inner wolf its food?" Bakura said, bemusedly. "More importantly, the mass chaos could provide a cover for us to get OUR food." 

Ryou hesitated, then let Amane run off towards the village, growling hungrily. The two vampires tore after her, running at top speed (which, all things considered, was pretty fast) towards the village. 

"Remember what I told you," Bakura said, as the two leapt and landed on the roof of a house in the village. 

"Control," Ryou said. "Only take what I need… got it." He lept down and grabbed a young woman that Amane had been chasing. The werewolf growled her disapproval, but began chasing after the woman's frightened lover instead. Ryou pulled the woman into the shadows and placed a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream. He lowered his head and bit into her neck and took her blood. As he felt her heart start to slow, he stopped and let her go. She fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Ryou stepped out of the alleyway carefully, keeping an eye out for Bakura. 

The screams from the mass chaos Amane was causing filled Ryou's ears as he waited for his Sire(1) to turn up. Quite suddenly, Bakura jumped down behind Ryou, wiping blood off his mouth, his eyes returning to their normal chocolate brown hue. 

"She's not dead, is she?" Bakura said, sternly, nudging the young woman with his foot. 

"No, just unconscious," Ryou said, calmly, turning to face him. "I stopped just as her heart began to slow…" 

"Wipe her memory, we can't have her—" 

"VAMPIRES!" A villager screamed. "Vampires in the village!" 

"Damn!" Bakura yelled. "Let's go, we can't stay here now…" 

"Amane!" Ryou yelled, whistling. The silver-white wolf bounded up to him looking disappointed. "Let's go…" The three ran away from the village, again at top speed, before the villagers came to drive stakes through their hearts. 

"That was too close," Ryou panted, sliding down against a tree several metres out of the village. 

"Are you sure you didn't kill her?" 

"Positive. What about you? They only started yelling after you showed up." 

"…" 

Ryou glanced upwards at the moon, now sinking bellow the horizon. Wolf-Amane convulsed again as she began the transition back to human. He watched her warily as the moon sank further below the hills. 

Bakura glanced around himself. "I don't think they saw where we went. I hope they didn't, anyway." He stared at Ryou, long and hard. "Hmm…" 

"What?" 

"…I was expecting your Gift to show itself sooner… it still hasn't shown itself…" 

"Gift?" 

"I'll explain in a moment. I think your sister's almost human again." 

Indeed, a low moan escaped Amane's lips as the last of her lupine features disappeared. "Ryou…? Did I kill anyone…?" 

"I don't know," Ryou sighed. "We didn't keep a complete eye on you the whole time." 

Amane sighed shakily and stood up. "What happened? Why is the whole village yelling?" 

"We thought the mass chaos would help hide our activities," Bakura said dryly. "But they noticed that we'd fed." 

"You didn't kill anyone?" 

"Neither of us," Ryou said, shaking his head. "Now, Bakura, I believe you were saying something about a Gift?" 

"A yes… Every vampire—and keep in mind, there aren't that many of us—has a Gift, either something hidden away in them or given at Embrace(2). Their Gift is unique to them, and them only. That is, unless they face Final Death(3). Then their Gift can be given when a new vampire is Embraced. Mine… Well, I'm an Elemental. I can manipulate all of the Elements, except Fire, which all vampires are weak against. Yours should have surfaced by now, but it hasn't." 

Ryou was taken aback, but he didn't say anything. "Well, it's bound to, isn't it…?" 

"I should HOPE so. Might be something wrong with you if it doesn't." 

"OY!"

* * *

**Los Angeles, California, 2002 AD**   
  
"There he is!" 

"Catch him, quick!" 

The full moon was high over the Los Angeles city skyline, hours away from setting. Ryou smirked to himself as several police officers came up behind him, their guns raised at him. Wolf-Amane snarled and wheeled around, ready to protect her brother at all costs. 

"Now, really, gentlemen," Ryou said, calmly. "Do you want to tangle with my Lupine friend, here? She's a bit hungry." 

The cops didn't respond to that. "Turn around with your hands on your head," One said. Ryou chuckled, his eyes beginning to take on a reddish colour. As his claws grew out, he lifted his hands to the back of his head, then slowly twisted around. 

"Then again," He said, smirking, "I don't think you'd want to tangle with me, either." 

"Dear God, what is he?!" One of the officers gasped. Ryou's smirk widened, and he lifted one of his hands in the air. "_Hi-i kesi kheftey-i_!" He yelled, the black of his aura concentrated in his raised hand. The officers collapsed, unconscious. 

_More'll be coming…_ Ryou thought. "Amane, let's go find Bakura." 

The wolf growled in response, looking longingly at the unconscious cops. 

"NO, Amane." 

The wolf whimpered and Ryou beckoned her to follow him. 

"They caught you again, didn't they?" A voice hissed in Ryou's ear. Ryou was unfazed. 

"Yes, Bakura, they did," Ryou said, calmly. 

"You've got to change your habits, Childe(4)," Bakura said, moving in front of Ryou. "We can't stay here. I never thought we'd have to run from a city as big as Los Angeles. But every. Time. You have to do this, don't you?" 

"At least I look for the ones who want to die," Ryou said, a biting note in his voice. 

"You've GOT to stop pretending to be a student. I'll not enroll you at any more schools." 

"Yeah? You expect me to change my modus operandi overnight?" Ryou snapped at Bakura. "It's not happening." 

"Well, where do we go? We can't stay in Los Angeles, and our combined efforts have got the cops in all the major cities in the US looking for us." 

Ryou sighed, and closed his eyes. As he did so, his Gift kicked in. 

A few weeks after Amane's second full moon, Ryou's Gift, the Sight, had emerged. Now, Ryou saw the beautiful, flowing Japanese characters on a sign in front of a school, where a blond girl in a blue skirt and pink blazer was smiling, broadly, waving at someone. Ryou read the characters on the sign. 

"Domino City," He breathed. "We're going to Domino City, in Japan."

* * *

(1)**Sire** - The vampire who Embraced another (That was vague...) 

(2)**Embrace** - The change from Human to Vampire 

(3)**Final Death** - When a Vampire is killed via stake, fire, etc. 

(4)**Childe** - Term used by a vampire's Sire to refer to them (again, vague...)


	3. New Territory

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 3: New Territory_**

  
  
"Out of the question." 

Ryou frowned at Bakura. They were seated in their new apartment in Domino City, a lupine Amane (though she was in that form voluntarily this time) at Ryou's feet. "Why not? You know that's how I find my food nowadays." 

Bakura sighed. "But it's going to get you noticed again." 

Ryou leaned in closer to him. "So I'll be discreet," He said, his voice little more than a whisper. 

"I don't TRUST you to be discreet," Bakura hissed back at him. 

"Oh you don't? You don't trust me to resist temptation?" 

"No, I don't, because it's damn near impossible for any vampire to resist temptation," Bakura snapped, causing Amane to lift her head in annoyance. 

Ryou sighed. "I told you… you can't expect me to change the way I do things overnight." 

"It's been a week since we left LA," Bakura retorted. 

"So? That doesn't matter. Look, I won't screw up this time, I know what I've been doing wrong." 

"What you've been doing wrong is helping depressed students commit suicide," Bakura said, angrily. 

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Well, you're too late." 

"What?" Bakura snapped. 

"I applied already. Before we got here." Ryou grinned evilly. "I've been accepted at Domino High as a Freshman." 

Bakura looked furious. He huffed, stood up, and stormed into his room. 

"I swear…" Ryou muttered. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, Ryou sighed, scratched wolf-Amane on the head, then headed to the bathroom to shower. By the time he was finished, it was light outside, and almost time for him to go. "If it helps," he said, as he emerged back into the living room, where Bakura was seated on the sofa again, "I'll starve myself at school today and hunt with you tonight. You know… like we used to." 

Bakura sighed, staring thoughtfully out the window. "All right. You know, I actually miss those…" 

"I thought so," Ryou grinned. "See you later."  


* * *

"Class… we have three new students today." 

The moment the teacher spoke, everything quieted. Ryou glanced around the room, nervously. He could sense another vampire on the premises, but it was obviously a very powerful one, for he couldn't pinpoint where the vampire was. 

To Ryou's right was a skinny young man with spiky, red, black, and blond hair, ruby red eyes, and a tan that gave him a rather exotic look similar to Bakura's. To his left, a girl with shoulder-length blond hair, brown eyes, and glasses stood, nervously, clutching rather tightly at her black laptop case. Ryou thought the girl was pretty, but she probably wasn't from Japan. 

"This young man is Yami… although… he apparently doesn't have a surname…" 

A low chuckle erupted from the class as Yami waved. 

"To his left… this is Ryou Bakura, who has transferred from England." Ryou nodded curtly at the class. 

"And finally, we have a transfer from America… Miss… Katherine O'Brian." 

Katherine blushed and muttered something to the teacher. 

"…Who would prefer to go by 'Kat'," The teacher added when she pulled away. "Yami, you can have a seat there by Yuugi Mutou… Mr. Bakura, by Jonouchi, if you will… and Miss O'Brian, next to Miss Mazaki." 

Each took their respective seats. Yami seated himself next to a short boy with violet eyes and hair that was quite similar to Yami's own, only without the blond spikes. Kat sat down next to a girl with chin-length brown hair and blue eyes, and Ryou took his seat next to a blond boy with brown eyes. Ryou glanced back at Kat, who was fidgeting nervously in her seat. She quickly glanced in his direction, let out a small, barely audible gasp, and turned away again. 

_So she's a shy one…_ Ryou thought, turning away as well. _But she's lovely nonetheless…_ He took in a breath, gathering the scents in the room. _There's another vampire at this school… I just need to figure out who they are…_  


* * *

"I'm back," Ryou said, as he entered the apartment he shared with Bakura at the end of the school day. 

"How'd it go?" Bakura said, not really sounding interested. 

"Fine. There's two other new students as well. And, oh yes… I'm not the only vampire in the school." 

Bakura sat up. "You aren't?" 

"No… there's another one. And a powerful one at that. I could smell and sense them, but they were able to mask their identity. Not even—" 

"I know I can't," Bakura retorted, harshly. "Damn… well… I guess we've got no choice but to keep you there. But I expect you to control yourself. I take it you… resisted temptation like you promised?" 

"Yeah. Although…" 

"What?" 

Ryou smirked. "One of the new students… A lovely blond girl from America." 

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Love. Won't do us any good." 

"What makes you say that?" 

"My innate cynicism. I've never been one for romance, and probably never will be." 

"Well, maybe I am." 

"Are you two arguing again?" Amane said, coming into the room. 

"No, just having a debate," Ryou retorted, grinning at her. 

"What about?" 

"Love." 

Amane raised her eyebrows, tossing her wavy silver-white hair behind her. "Love? Have you found a girlfriend, ickle brother?" 

"Possibly," Ryou said, grinning a little. "I didn't talk to her today. But she's a new student, like me." 

"Who was the other one?" Bakura asked. 

"He said his name was Yami… no last name given. Very skinny lad, he was. Eyes like large rubies." 

"How poetic," Bakura muttered, sarcastically. He glanced out the window, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon. "Almost dusk…" 

"Don't worry, I haven't had anything to eat today. We'll hunt, like I promised." 

Amane pouted. "But you two had so much more fun on the Full Moon, several centuries ago…" 

"And you used to wretch every time we told you that you'd killed people," Bakura retorted. 

"…Point taken. But immortal or not, people change." 

"This is true," Ryou muttered. "However, last Full Moon, you didn't seem to mind the notion of killing the cops who were trying to arrest me, after I told you that you'd wanted to do so." 

"Well… they wanted to arrest you." 

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm going to change into my civvies."  


* * *

"Master…" 

"What is it?" A harsh tenor voice responded. 

"I have news… there are new vampires in town… three of them." A light tenor voice said, somewhat shakily. 

"Three?" 

"Yes, and two attending Domino High." 

"…" 

"Master?" 

"Do you think they're a threat to me?" 

"Well… two of them are over three thousand years old… and one… well, his sister…" 

"What about her…?" 

"She's… a Lycanthrope." 

"…Well… I won't have vampires who think they're more powerful than I am loose in the city… Get a message to them, tonight, if it's at all possible… they must leave before dusk tomorrow… or face Final Death."

* * *

**_A/N:_** I thought I'd do some review responses this chapter.

**Zatken:** I'm impressed. You've been a faithful reviewer thus far. Thanks for your praise, I greatly appreciate it. I'll try and read some of your work after I finish this. And if there are numbers, there'll be footnotes. =P Yee, 'nother Evanescence fan!

**Kawaii Spinel Queen Of Evil:** Faithfully reviewing all of my stories as always, aren't we? Heh, I guess typing speed runs in the family. My mom's a touch typist two.

To all who review and review kindly or constructively: thank ye!

**::DJP::**


	4. Eternal Love

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 4: Eternal Love_**

  
  
A cold breeze beat against his face and tousled his hair as he stood atop the roof of a low building in Domino City. He crouched down as he saw two figures leave a nearby apartment building, one of whom he recognized. Yes... that scar on his right cheek... it was unmistakeable... two horizontal slashes, and one vertical... He wasn't quite sure how the man had obtained it, but remembered it from the day the two had met. 

He growled softly and turned away from the pair of vampires below him, his nose catching an odd scent. 

"Vampire," A man's voice, soft, and tenor-pitched said. "You are trespassing on the territory of another." 

"Am I?" He responded, his rich, baritone-pitched voice little more than a whisper. "What's your name, Ghoul(1)?" He turned around, faced with a hooded man with gleaming light green eyes and a heavy brow. 

"Rishid. I have a message from my master. You and the other two are to leave the city by dusk tomorrow or you will face Final Death." 

He let out a low chuckle. "Oh? Well, I suppose your master has no idea who I am... It's out of the question. I've just moved here and I'm not about to leave because some bad-ass vampire believes he's the biggest kid on the playground. And besides... I have my eye on something very special that lives in this city..."  


* * *

Ryou gently laid the woman he had found and fed off of against the wall in the alley. He'd avoided draining her completely, and now she was unconscious. He quietly murmured a memory modification spell, so that she wouldn't remember meeting him, and left to find Bakura. 

"Probably got himself lost," He muttered, when he noticed that Bakura was nowhere in sight. He sighed and leaned against a lamppost. Finally, getting bored, he decided to get up and find someone else to feed off of. After all, he wasn't full yet. He was headed for the district in which Domino High was located when he ran right into someone. 

"_Gomen nasai_," He heard a light, soprano voice say. He glance behind him and saw a familiar blond-haired head. 

"Oh, wait, hey!" He said, causing her to look back at him. "Um... hi... Kat, was it? You go to my school, right?" 

She looked surprised. "Um, yeah, I do... That is, if you go to Domino High, which I assume you do since you know my name..." 

"Yeah." Ryou smiled at her. "I'm Ryou." He held out his hand, and she took it reluctantly. 

"Kat... but you already knew that." 

Ryou chuckled. "What part of America are you from?" 

"Washington DC..." She hesitated, then said, "And you? What part of England are you from?" 

"Oh, somewhere outside of London," Ryou said, casually. He gave Kat a good look over. 

Upon closer inspection, he realised that her hair wasn't actually blond. It was, in fact, chestnut brown, with various shades of golden blond highlights. He thought he saw some red hair in there, too. 

He noticed Kat was blushing. She turned away. "Can... can you stop staring at me please?" 

"Oh, sorry," Ryou said, with a small laugh. "Why are you so shy?" 

The blush on her face deepened. Ryou could hear her heart pounding in his head. She was nervous, anxious, even! "I... It's hard, being in a strange country... especially when you can barely speak the native tongue." 

"You seem to be doing fine," Ryou said, smiling at her. 

"Thanks... ah, well... I'd better be off... see ya at school..." She hurried off, into the shadows. 

"Hmmm..." Ryou said, thoughtfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she likes me..." He smirked, although he imagined it must look more like an evil grin than anything. 

* * *

Bakura growled, impatiently. "Where the bloody hell did he get off to?!" He paused. "Curses, he's rubbing off on me..." He sighed, closed his eyes, then telepathically screamed, [RYOU!] 

/Gah! What?/ Ryou responded, annoyed. 

[Get your arse over here! We're in trouble... AGAIN!] 

/Uhh... I didn't do it?/ 

[It's not your fault... for once. Get over here!] 

/And where's 'here'?/ Ryou's telepathic voice sounded annoyed. 

[By the museum. Use a transportation spell, I don't think we can afford to waste time.] 

Ryou appeared beside Bakura a second after Bakura had sent the last message. "What's the problem?" 

"It's nothing you did... Someone found out that we moved here. Someone who happens to be Undead and doesn't like rivals." 

Ryou raised an eyebrow, looking a little surprised. "Maybe the other vampire at school?" 

"I doubt it, probably someone more powerful. Someone who has a good deal of influence in the city. Damn, this isn't good..." 

Ryou raised his eyebrows, but remained silent as they walked back to their apartment. Finally, he spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask you... where'd you get that scar on your cheek?" 

Bakura was surprised at the question. He hesitated, then said. "I don't know. It was from when I was human. Those days are a blur to me. Only one truly stands out in my mind, and that was the day I met Atemu." 

"Atemu?" Ryou asked. 

"The Pharaoh in my time, and a very powerful one at that," Bakura said. "I didn't like him, and I'll spare you the details of what I did. I only remember that day because it was the last day of my life." (**_A/N_**: It's not EXACTLY what happened in the Memory Arc, but it's pretty close. But as to what happened... _Sore wa himitsu desu!_) 

Ryou fell silent again. "So what exactly happened that's causing you to panic?" He asked, after several minutes of silence. 

"We've been threatened with Final Death if we don't leave the city by dusk tomorrow," Bakura said, dejectedly. 

"Oh, HELL, no," Ryou responded, angrily. "I am NOT leaving just because some vamp thinks he owns the place!" 

"This is about that transfer student, isn't it?" 

Ryou paled. 

"Uh huh. I knew it. You've fallen in love," Bakura hissed. 

"Have not," Ryou snapped back at him. 

"You have, Ryou, whether you want to believe it or not! You've found something you truly want, and you're not about to give it up! I know the signs!" 

"You act like love's an sickness!" Ryou shouted at him. 

"Perhaps I think it is," Bakura said, dangerously. "The girl is MORTAL, Ryou! She'll die, and you'll be left all alone again! That's what always happens!" 

Ryou gulped. "I'll Embrace her, then. If she'll let me, I'll Embrace her." 

"No you won't." 

"Don't you tell me what to do, you—" 

"I'm saying you won't!" Bakura shouted. "You won't have the heart to do it! You'll care too fucking much to hurt her!" 

Ryou was taken aback by the outburst. "I'm not leaving. I'll kill the bastard if I have to. But I am not leaving now. You can, if you're that scared, but I am not going anywhere." 

Bakura calmed himself down. He sighed. "I'll stay if you are... but be careful with that girl. Someone could use her against you."  


* * *

Yuugi jerked awake, having fallen asleep while doing his homework. He checked his clock. It read 1:30 AM. 

"Nyergh... I'll never get this done..." He muttered, sliding his unfinished work back into his backpack. When he glanced behind himself, he saw the window to his room open. "The Hell? I didn't leave that open..." He got up and closed it. "I must be more tired than I thought..." He sighed and almost fell into bed. _I dreamed about that new student, Yami..._ He thought, closing his eyes. _Why? I barely know him. I WANT to know him, but... Why did I dream about him?_ A thought crossed Yuugi's mind. _Am I attracted to him...?_ He shook the idea out of his mind. _I'm tired, I don't need to be thinking about this..._ He slipped under the covers and quickly fell asleep again. 

Several minutes later, the window rattled quietly, then opened again. A shadowy, masculine figure slipped in. 

"The boy catches on quick..." A rich, deep voice said. The owner of the voice moved towards the bed, silently, and leaned over. Claws grew where his fingernails were, and his incisors grew out into inch-long fangs. He gently sank his teeth into Yuugi's neck. The boy let out a soft moan, but didn't wake. The man pulled away, his appearance returning to normal. "Sleep well, Little One..."

* * *

(1)**Ghoul** - A human who, after drinking a vampire's blood, becomes completely devoted to that vampire. (In case anyone's wondering, I seem to be getting several ideas for this from _Vampire: The Masquerade_. ;;;) 

**_To Reviewers..._**: 

**invisible-eyes**: Yeah, I've noticed that. I found one that gave her a cameo, but it was confusing as hell. o.o;;; Thanks fer the review!


	5. Blood Ties

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 5: Blood Ties_**

  
  
Winter fell on Domino, turning the air bitter and cold. Ryou and Bakura, both unwilling to leave Domino, still had not faced Final Death. Nor had the other vampire who was attending Domino High, though his identity was still unknown to Ryou. 

In the months after their first conversation, Kat and Ryou had slowly but steadily become good friends. At the same time, Yuugi and the other new transfer student, Yami, had become really close as well. 

One cold December night, Kat had gone outside for a walk. She had taken a liking to the park in Domino, something that Ryou knew all too well. It was snowing, and there was already two or three inches of snow on the ground. Kat shivered and drew her long, black coat around her body. 

"You look cold, are you okay?" A voice said behind her. She turned around and her eyes met Ryou, standing there in a knee-length, dark grey wool coat, a dark blue scarf tied around his neck. 

"Ryou, you scared me," She said, laughing a little. 

"Thought I was just some stalker?" Ryou laughed grinning. He moved closer to her, smiling. "Maybe I can help keep you warm." 

"And just what are you proposing, Mr. Bakura?" Kat said with a laugh. 

"Just a hug," Ryou said, innocently. "For ages, humans relied on the warmth of each other's bodies to keep themselves warm." He paused. "Besides, aren't you glad to see me?" 

"This is true," Kat admitted. "And yes, I am." She smiled at him and the two embraced. 

"Warmer now?" Ryou asked as they pulled apart about two minutes later. 

"A little, yeah," Kat said. "How is it that you always know where I am?" 

"Well… I know you like going out for walks. Helps clear your mind, you told me, sometimes even inspires you. And I know your favourite place in the city is the park. Logical conclusion." He walked beside Kat as she wandered aimlessly around the park, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. "Still cold?" 

"It's winter, of course I'm cold," she laughed. 

He laughed and pulled her closer to him. 

"What're you doing?" She said, laughing. 

"I'm trying to help you stay warm." 

"No you're not… this is just… you know what, I know what you're doing…" 

"Oh, what am I doing?" 

"You're trying to be romantic." 

Ryou raised an eyebrow and smiled a little. "Am I succeeding?" 

"…Yeah," She said, grinning a little. 

"Well, in that case…" Ryou stopped walking and, by proxy, so did Kat. "Perhaps… this will help a little, too…" He leaned in and kissed her, lightly at first. Her initial shock gave way and she tried, but failed, to suppress a little moan of pleasure as Ryou deepened the kiss. 

They broke away, and Ryou smiled at her. 

"I hope I've made an impression," he said, softly. 

She stood there, staring at him for a bit, then laughed. "Talk about making the first move… That was WAY too forward!" 

"Sorry," Ryou said, with a small laugh of his own. 

Kat took in a deep breath. "That being said…" She tackled him, enthusiastically, enveloping him in a fierce hug. "Why didn't you just ask me out?" She said, grinning up at him. 

"Underage dating's forbidden at school, remember?" 

"…Oh, right. Man, stupid rules in this country… I don't get the 'guys can't have long hair' thing, I happen to like that…" 

Ryou smiled and pulled at one of his silver-white locks of hair. "Well, good for me, then." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, since that's the case, we should probably keep this a secret." 

"_Sore wa himitsu desu_?" She said, jokingly, throwing her arms around his neck. 

"_Hai, sore wa himitsu desu_," Ryou responded, grinning.  


* * *

_What am I doing?_ Bakura thought, sitting atop a building in downtown Domino. He scowled. _Why did I even bother to stay here? Why didn't I just force Ryou to go, and leave that girl behind?_ He scoffed, watching the activity below with wary eyes. "Of course, the boy's too stubborn to—The hell? What's that?" He stared down at a young man with spiky, tri-coloured hair and tan skin, who seemed a little to preoccupied with something to notice that a shorter boy with similar hair was about to tackle-hug him. "No… it can't be…" The other boy had pulled off his tackle-hug, which had sufficiently caught the man's attention. He laughed and pulled the smaller boy into a tight hug and whispered something in his ear. 

"Atemu…" Bakura whispered. "He can't still be alive…" 

He paused, thinking. 

"…Can he?"  


* * *

Yami had taken a liking to being out on the streets at night. And why shouldn't he? He was used to the darkness by now, after such a long time of living in it. He tugged his overcoat closer to his body. He wasn't cold, far from it. He just wanted to give the impression that he was. 

"YAMI!" An excited, counter-tenor pitched voice yelled, excitedly. Yami felt something (or, rather, someone) collide with his back, hugging him fiercely. 

"Oh, Yuugi," He said, smiling and twisting around to see the smaller boy grinning up at him. "You surprised me." 

"I did? You always knew when I was coming before," Yuugi said, innocently. 

"I know… you just caught me off guard, that's all," Yami smiled. He pulled Yuugi into a tight hug. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you…" He whispered into Yuugi's ear. 

"What?" Yuugi asked, sounding a little nervous. 

"Given the choice…" Yami began, hesitating. The question was a bit of a joke, but it was his only way of finding out whether he could take what he wanted from Yuugi. "Who would you rather sleep with? Me or Anzu Mazaki?" He continued, grinning slightly. (**_A/N:_** Gah, too much _Vampire Game_ on the mind...) 

Yuugi's face went beat red. "Wh-What?" 

"I was just kidding, of course," Yami said, grinning. "Sorry if I embarrassed you…" He pulled away from Yuugi and began to walk off in the opposite direction. Yuugi grabbed his hand and pulled him back. 

"C-Can I answer anyway, even if it was a joke?" 

"…Sure," Yami said, blinking. 

Yuugi blushed harder. "I, uh… I'd rather… I'd rather sleep with you." 

The words had come out in a rush, but Yami had managed to make them out, anyway. Yami raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Well, if that's the case, I hope you won't mind…" He leaned over and kissed Yuugi on the lips. When he pulled away, Yuugi seemed too shocked to say anything. He was redder than ever. "I'll see you at school, Little One," He said, smirking. He walked away, Yuugi staring after him in shock. 

When Yami was gone, Yuugi managed to shake himself out of his reverie. "'Little One'?" He muttered. He gasped. "Someone's called me that before… I've heard it muttered in my ear, at night, while I'm asleep…" He stared at the spot where Yami had been. "Something's… not right…" 

Several feet away, Yami smirked. "I think he's onto me… Oh well." He laughed softly and continued on his way. He stopped only when an odd smell caught his attention. He let out a small gasp, and turned his head upwards. "Can it be…?" 

His ruby red eyes met the fierce chocolate brown eyes of a figure standing on the low rooftop of a nearby building, a long black trenchcoat flapping in the gentle breeze. A familiar scar disfigured the right side of the man's face, and his dark skin suggested an origin somewhere in the middle east. 

"Bakura," Yami said, eyes narrowed. 

Bakura's eyes narrowed as well. "Atemu…"


	6. Mortal Sins

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 6: Mortal Sins_**

  
  
**Waset, Khemet, 1503 BC  
(Luxor, Egypt)**

Chaos erupted as Bakura charged through Waset on horseback, his plunderings from the late Pharaoh's tomb tied securely to the back of his horse. What he had planned was a daring idea, but if it succeeded, he would have the throne of Khemet by sunrise the following day. He smirked to himself and cackled at his horse leapt clean over a pair of guards at the front of the palace. The horse halted, and Bakura climbed off, taking with him the sarcophagus of the late Pharaoh.  


* * *

At the same time, in the throne room, Pharaoh Atemu was uneasy about the goings on outside. He could hear the noise coming through the glassless windows. He glanced down at his Vizier. "_Tjatey_… what's happening out there?" 

The Vizier hesitated, then spoke. "Someone has robbed your father's tomb." 

A look of utter horror crossed Atemu's face. He moved to stand up, causing everyone in the room to flinch a little, but his Vizier laid a calming hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder. 

"Let the guards handle it, I'm sure they can—" 

The doors to the throne room crashed open, and in their wake stood a young man with wild, white hair, dark brown eyes, and a scar on his right cheek. He was wearing a blood red robe, and carrying… 

"Oh, gods," Atemu shuddered. "Father…" 

The man was dragging with him the sarcophagus of Atemu's father. 

Several guards attempted to stop the man, but he threw them away as if it was nothing. 

"Demonic magic," High Priest Set growled, raising the Millennium Rod a little, ready to use it if he had to. 

The man smirked, then laughed. His laugh was evil, mirthless. Atemu growled, threatening to rise from his throne again. 

"Well, Pharaoh," the man hissed a tenor-pitched, gravely voice. "How do you like my surprise?" 

"BASTARD!" Atemu screamed. "Who are you?!" 

"_Iew-i… Itja-Nesu_ Bakura," The man said, his smirk widening. (**_A/N:_** _Itja-Nesu_ is the Khemetic equivalent of _Tozokuou_ in Japanese. Therefore… Thief–king. XD) "Why don't we play a game…?" He hissed, dangerously. 

"Impossible!" Set screamed. "Only—" 

_Itja-Nesu_ Bakura cackled and shouted "_Hi-i kesi wi kheftey_!" The six Priests in the room fell to their knees, but were protected from being knocked, as the spell should've done, by their own Divine magic. 

"He's more than _itja_," Isis grunted as she tried to stand. "He… is _Khewew-Hes-Netjer_…" She fell to her knees again. She and the other priests soon regained their strength and stood, ready to defend their Pharaoh against Bakura. 

"_A-ha Kesi_!" Atemu shouted, getting to his feet. Everyone but Bakura hastily fell to their knees again, this time out of respect for Atemu. "What kind of game did you have in mind, Thief King? A Shadow Game?" 

"A game of… death," Bakura hissed. Atemu was unfazed. 

"_Ahai? Iew khet metey…_?" Atemu responded, an equally dangerous note in his voice. 

"_Metey_!" Bakura shouted to the air. "_A'a Apophis, Netjer ne Gereh, Sha-i Tjen set-a'… Seki rehew tepey wi_!" 

It was over in a split second. The force of the spell Bakura had performed threw Atemu across the room. When he landed, he did not move. 

"Pharaoh Atemu!" Isis cried out. 

Bakura cackled again. "You know that spell was meant to kill upon impact, right? Your precious Pharaoh is already dead, and he has no Heir to replace him…" He hissed. 

"If you're saying what I think you are, out of the question!" Set yelled. 

"Now, wait, _Hem-Netjer-Tepey_…" Bakura said, eyes narrowing with malice. "You saw what I did to the Pharaoh. He's more powerful than any of you… so I could easily do the same to you. I'd watch what you say around me." He laughed again, and smirked. "I'll be in my new chambers," he sneered.  


* * *

The dark throne room was deserted, but for the High Priest Set, who sat against the throne, not showing any emotion, but certainly feeling it. 

Their Pharaoh had died, not even two years into his reign. He could not possibly let Thief King Bakura usurp the throne from Atemu. But there was nothing to be done. 

"Death is final…" Set muttered, hanging his head. "I let my Pharaoh die." 

"No, Set…" A voice said, harsh and hoarse sounding. "Death is not final…" 

Set looked up and gasped. Atemu stood before him, a rather bloody mess, but, for all evidence, perfectly alive. 

"Pharaoh Atemu!" Set scrambled to his knees, but Atemu pulled him to his feet. 

"Hush, Set. Where is the Thief King?" 

"In your chambers…" Set said, quietly. "He sought to usurp the throne from you…" 

"I thought that was it," Atemu said, darkly. He swept from the room, leaving Set absolutely bewildered.  


* * *

As Atemu walked the halls of the palace to his room, he clutched at his head. Something didn't feel right. There was something inside of him, something he couldn't control… in his anger at Bakura, it was threatening to burst free. He was scared, scared of what he would do when it did. This beast within him… he had to suppress it. 

_Bakura put it there,_ Atemu thought, angrily. _I'll make sure he gets what he gave to me. He'll get this uncontrollable beast, too..._

Atemu found his chambers, and, indeed, Bakura was there. Bakura gasped and rapidly stood up when he saw Atemu standing there. 

"Impossible! I killed you!" 

"Yes," Atemu hissed. "You did." 

The beast burst free. Atemu lost all control. He lunged at Bakura, his fingernails growing out into inch-long claws, incisors in to inch-long fangs. The animal instinct within him controlled him. He seized Bakura ad tore into the thief's throat with his fangs, draining the blood and life from him. Atemu then pulled away, and Bakura collapsed. 

A soft growl escaped Atemu's lips. _How do I give him my curse?_ Atemu wondered as he stood over the dying Bakura. 

The beast seemed to know. Atemu tore the flesh of his arm open with his claws, the wound bleeding openly. He roughly seized Bakura's head and forced his mouth against the bleeding wound. The blood flowed into Bakura's mouth, and he coughed, tearing away and falling against the wall. 

Atemu's humanity returned. He let out a hoarse strangled yell and fell against the wall himself, breathing hard. 

"Ra almighty… what have I done?" He whispered.  


* * *

Over three thousand years later, in Domino City, Japan, Atemu—Now known as Yami—and Bakura stood face to face once again, each as surprised to see the other as the other was to see him. 

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Bakura…" 

Bakura's eyes narrowed as well. "Atemu… We meet again… Sire." 

"What are you doing in Domino?" Yami asked, a little perturbed. Another encounter. They'd had too many of them after they'd split paths in Jerusalem. 

"I have my reasons. And you?" 

"Wandering. Mostly." 

"You were looking for something here…" 

"What makes you say that?" 

"I saw you… with that young boy." 

"He's not a young boy, he's 16," Yami said, defensively. 

"Yeah, whatever," Bakura scoffed. "You never told me you were homosexual. Centuries we had to work together, discovering what we had become by helping and hurting each other. Could you not trust me with that?" 

"It was a Mortal Sin in our Creed," Yami hissed. "You think I felt comfortable with it? I was supposed to be the holiest man in the country!" 

"But you weren't then," Bakura hissed, with a grin, jumping off the building, his coat flying out behind him as he did so. He landed with a soft crunch in the soft, fresh powder. "Especially not after what you did to me." 

"Why are you making a big deal of this?" Yami asked, throwing his hands into the air. 

"Perhaps its because it was a Mortal Sin back in our day," Bakura said, a biting note in his voice. "I'll admit, I've become more paranoid. Back in the old days, I didn't used to care about getting caught. Now, I'm panicking every time I take a little too much. A little more than I need." 

"You have changed," Yami said, in awe. "When we were in the _Sengoku Jidai_ you didn't care at all." 

"No, I didn't. I think the Dark Ages awoke me to that. That's when the hunters emerged." 

"Well, at least you've learned to cover your tracks," Yami said, sounding genuinely impressed. "I'm impressed. Never thought you had it in you." 

"_Ahai, Seger_, Atemu," Bakura hissed. "So it's 'Yami' you're going by now?" 

"Atemu isn't a normal name these days." 

"Makes sense. Bakura can easily pass off as a Japanese name." 

"As we learned in the _Sengoku Jidai_," Yami noted. 

"Yes… So I just kept mine." 

"I know." Yami turned his back to Bakura. "There are two other vampires in this city. One wants the other three—including us—out. The other… He goes to Domino High. His name is Ry—" 

"Ryou?" Bakura said. "Yes, I know. He's the reason I came." 

"Is there a blood hunt for him?" 

"No. He's my Childe." 

Yami raised both eyebrows. "You? A Fledgling?" He asked, snorting. 

"I've had several," Bakura snapped. "They've either been killed or they've split paths with me." 

"And Ryou?" 

"It's been five hundred years since I embraced him and he's still standing there, faithfully, by my side, with his Lycanthrope sister, Amane. The only problem I have with him is his… how did he put it…? Ah. _Modus Operandi_." 

"What does he do?" 

"He likes to find depressed High School students… and then, after he gets to know them, he helps them commit suicide. I'm sure you know what I mean by that. We only just took up our hunting tradition again." 

"What's your tradition?" 

"Why do you ask?" 

"Interested. I want to know what you've been doing in the past few centuries." 

Bakura sighed and leaned up against a wall. "On normal nights, Ryou and I… just, go out an hunt. We find humans to feed off of, take enough to knock them out, modify their memories… It's routine, though we often have to find more than one." 

Yami snorted. "Your paranoia's getting the better of you." 

Bakura laughed. "Wait 'til you hear what happens on the full moon… we let Amane loose in the city, although she always stays close to Ryou. She's learned to differentiate his scent from other vampires. So she knows it's him, and she protects him if he's in trouble. Anyway, we let her loose and let her lupine half get its food while we get ours. We seem to care less about whether we kill… people die anyway, after all…" 

Yami stared up at the black sky for a bit. "There's another vampire here. A powerful one." 

"What makes you say that?" Bakura said, nervously. 

"I was threatened by a Ghoul who called himself Rishid," Yami said. "Surely you were as well?" 

"Hmmm… did Rishid have bright green eyes, hieroglyphic script carved into the left side of his face, and an overhanging brow?" Bakura asked, casually. 

"Yep, that's him." 

"In that case, yes, I was. I tried to get his master's name out of him, he wouldn't say." 

"Bakura, you should know by now that a Ghoul will never betray the vampires whose blood he has taken," Yami said, mournfully. 

"Do you know how powerful this vampire is?" Bakura asked. 

"I have a vague idea, yes. From the feelings I'm getting from being in the city. They KNOW he's here… they just don't know that he's a vampire. They think he's some leader with a lot of power, perhaps a very rich man who has a lot of power in the city." 

"How long have you been here?" 

"Not long… probably about as long as you have. I've been scoping out this city… there're a few gangs, there's one really major company—They're called Kaiba Corp—But other than that, there's not that much that goes on here." 

"Why are you telling me this?" 

"Because," Yami said, locking eyes with Bakura, "I believe it is time that we put our differences aside and work together on this. This could be big. It could affect both of us. And your Fledgling." 

Bakura remained silent for several minutes. Finally, he sighed. "Alright. Alright. A temporary truce." 

Yami smiled. "Fair enough. I'll be keeping in touch with you through Ryou, I think… It's the easiest way, our vampiric rival might notice if you and I meet too many times." 

Bakura nodded. 

"I'll stay in touch," Yami said. "But in the meantime… I have something I need to do…" He smiled, meaningfully, and swept off into the shadows.


	7. Unholy Alliance

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 7: Unholy Alliance_**

  
  
"Ryou Bakura… that's not really your last name is it?" 

Ryou turned around, finding himself face-to-face with Yami. He raised an eyebrow, casting a sidelong glance at Kat, who was seated next to him. 

It was lunchtime at school the following day. Ryou was still unaware of the current state of things. He believed that whoever the vampire who had threatened them was, he had given up. 

"Yami," Ryou stated, simply. "You DON'T have a last name." 

Yami laughed. "Funny. Can I talk to you for a moment?" 

"Sure, why?" 

"Not here…" Yami hissed. {Come with me, young one.} 

Ryou gasped when he heard Yami's voice shoot through his head. His eyes narrowed, but he followed Yami to a secluded corner of the classroom. He saw Yuugi watching Yami carefully. 

"You're the other vampire at the school," Ryou said, in a hushed voice so others wouldn't hear. 

"Bakura didn't tell you? I'm disappointed, I thought he would." 

"…I didn't go home last night," Ryou said, with a meaningful glance at Kat. 

"Ahhh," Yami said with a smirk. "I understand… Bakura and I knew each other in life. We didn't LIKE each other, and we'd only just met when I was Embraced, but we knew each other." 

"You more than knew each other…" Ryou said, softly. 

Yami laughed. "Perceptive. Actually, I'm Bakura's Sire." 

Ryou raised an eyebrow. "My Grandsire, then." 

"Yes," Yami nodded. "Bakura and I, though he hates me, have called a truce, to help find the vampire who's trying to get us killed." 

"I thought he gave up." 

"Nope. He's just trying… to discover our weaknesses," Yami said. "It'd be too suspicious if I kept seeing Bakura too much, so I'm going to need you to help me stay in touch with him." 

Ryou thought for a moment. "Alright. Do you need me to say anything to him tonight?" 

"Nope. Just giving you a heads-up." Yami smiled, and walked back over to Yuugi. Ryou, in turn, returned to Kat. 

"What was that about?" She asked. 

"Nothing," Ryou sighed, shaking his head. Kat look worried. She placed her hand on his. 

"Ryou," She said softly. "Last night, after we had sex… I was leaning against your chest, you were asleep… Ryou, I couldn't feel your heart beat… I thought you were dead." 

Ryou looked a little surprised. "Of course… I should've guessed you'd figure it out." 

"Figure what out?" 

He sighed, and pulled her close to him, so that her ear was where his heart was. "Do you feel it now?" 

Her eyes widened and she pulled away. "No… what are you?" 

He lowered his voice to a whisper. "A vampire." 

She laughed. Then after she calmed down, she said, "You're joking, right?" 

Ryou shook his head. 

"You're serious," Kat said. "You're completely serious… my God, I never thought this would happen…" 

Ryou placed a hand on her cheek. "You won't leave me? The last time a lover of mine found out, she left, in the middle of the night, without even saying goodbye… The next morning, the villagers attacked me, my sister, and my Sire when we came into the village to buy things. We were forced to leave." 

"Just… just how old are you?" Kat asked, sounding awed. 

"About five hundred," Ryou said softly. The bell rang. Ryou flinched from the noise, then said, "You'd better go back to your seat… wouldn't want anyone to suspect anything." 

Kat nodded and kissed him before going back to her seat. Ryou smiled slightly and turned around in this seat to face the black board as people came back into the classroom. Yuugi, who had been straddling Yami's waist, reluctantly got up and moved to the seat next to Yami. Ryou raised his eyebrows as Yami closed his eyes, looking pleased about something. Seconds later the teacher called the class to order, and the class began.

* * *

That night heralded the Full Moon, so when Ryou got home, he had a major discussion to have with Bakura. 

"I'm wondering," Ryou said, as he came through the door and took off his uniform blazer, "Whether we should take up our old Full Moon habit or not." 

"What habit would that be?" Bakura said, from the couch that Amane wasn't occupying. 

"Letting Amane loose in the city to wreak havoc while we feast." 

Bakura raised his eyebrows. "You want your Lover to be hurt?" 

Ryou scowled. "You presume to say—" 

"Oh, come off it, I can smell her on you. And you didn't come home last night." 

Ryou sighed. "I've warned Kat to stay inside tonight. I told her about Amane and that there might be other Werewolves in the city who aren't as concerned with peoples safety." 

"You told her Amane was a werewolf but NOT that you were a vampire? How exactly does that work?" 

"It doesn't. I DID tell her that I was a vampire… she was well on her way to figuring it out on her own. I hope Yami warned Yuugi about Amane—Or did you not tell him?" 

"I told him about Amane. And you're right, there might be other Werewo—wait, why would he want to warn Yuugi?" 

Ryou laughed. "You haven't been observing him at school. Yami hangs around Yuugi constantly… They were cuddling during lunch today, too, I think they're in love," Ryou said. 

"Oh, Yuugi's that boy who tackled Yami last night, then…" Bakura muttered. 

"Ah, so you did know about Yami's sexuality." 

"Only just found out. It was a Mortal Sin in our Creed so Atemu didn't feel comfortable telling me." 

"Atemu?" 

"That's Yami's real name." 

"But… Atemu was the Pharaoh you mentioned…" 

"Yes, and he and Yami are one and the same." 

Ryou sweatdropped. 

"Atemu probably didn't think I'd told you about him before, so that's why he didn't tell you his real name," Bakura said simply. "I spent about a century or so with him trying to find out all of our strengths and weaknesses. Vampires were new to the planet then and we'd only just become members of the race. Nobody knew what our strengths and weaknesses were, and it took us a long time to figure out what they were." 

"You're omitting something," Ryou said, suspiciously. 

"…So?" 

"A lie of omission is still a lie, Bakura." 

Bakura sighed. "Atemu and I are the first two vampires. I cursed Atemu, I thought I killed him… the curse backfired, Atemu became the first vampire, and he Embraced me out of revenge. We HAD to help each other after that. It was the only way he we could survive." 

"You still hate him, don't you?" 

"He took my humanity without my permission," Bakura growled. 

"You did the same to him!" Ryou retorted. 

"But I didn't KNOW I was doing it! He knew PERFECTLY WELL what he was doing!" 

Ryou sighed. There was no arguing with Bakura this time, and he actually had a point. For once. "Kat promised me she wouldn't go outside tonight. I just hope—for Yami's sake—that Yuugi knows not to be outside, too."

* * *

The Full Moon rose over the horizon slowly, dimly illuminating what darkness the street lamps didn't catch. Yuugi had decided he needed some fresh air, and he hoped to see Yami while he was out, so he'd donned his winter coat and gone outside for a walk. A distant howling could be heard, but Yuugi paid it no heed. Last night he'd seen Yami near an Occult store, so maybe he'd find him someplace similar. 

Yuugi neared the Occult store he'd met Yami at and stopped, hoping Yami would be there again. He waited there a few minutes when he heard soft footsteps against the soft powder that covered the ground. A fresh snowfall had begun earlier in the day and still hadn't stopped. A growling caught Yuugi's ears, and he turned his head to see a brown wolf creeping nearer to him. 

_Uh oh…_ Yuugi thought as the wolf neared him. _Better get outta here…_ He turned away from the wolf and began to run in the opposite direction, but he slipped on some of the snow and fell. The wolf lept on him and closed its jaws on Yuugi's neck. It leaned in for another bite when a pure black wolf leapt on top of it and knocked it off of Yuugi. The black wolf swiped its claws at the other, which scampered. The black wolf sauntered over to Yuugi, who rolled over to carefully conceal the wound in case anyone saw. He sat up slowly and covered it with his scarf. 

"Are you alright, Little One?" A familiar voice said. 

"Yami!" Yuugi gasped, looking up into the face of his boyfriend. "Where did you come from?" 

"It's not safe to be out here tonight," Yami said, softly. "There are things that could hurt you." 

"Werewolves?" Yuugi said, weakly but somewhat sarcastically. Yami looked taken aback. "Well, it's the Full Moon… what else could be dangerous tonight?" 

"Some forms of demons, maybe," Yami grinned, slyly. "Do you believe in werewolves?" 

"Kinda… I think there's a possibility that they might exist…" Yuugi muttered, blushing a little. 

Yami pulled Yuugi into a hug. "I want you to go home, aibou. Stay off the streets tonight." 

"What about you?" 

"I'm… immune to the dangerous things," Yami said, grinning. "They can't hurt me, and besides, I have things to take care of." 

"What makes you think I don't?" 

"Because I know you only wanted to see me," Yami purred, nuzzling Yuugi. He kissed the smaller boy, then let him go. "I'll take you home. Come." 

As Yuugi made to follow Yami he carefully adjusted his scarf so that he wouldn't see the bite mark.


	8. Blind Faith

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 8: Blind Faith_**

  
  
The rest of the full moon passed without a hitch. Yami joined Ryou and Bakura in their hunting after he'd taken Yuugi home. After that, the three split paths. Bakura went home with a weakened Amane, Ryou went to see Kat, and Yami to see Yuugi. 

"Ryou!" Kat squealed when she opened the door and saw him standing there. 

"What're you doing up?" He asked. 

"I just woke up, actually… it's the full moon, you know… the moon doesn't set until after daybreak." 

Ryou nodded, and cleared his throat. "May I come in?" 

Kat laughed. "I invited you in already, you can't need an invitation every time." 

"No, just the first time… I'm being polite," He said, with a smile. 

"Well, in that case… come in," Kat said, smiling back. Ryou stepped into her apartment, then instantly seized her around the waist and pulled her close to him. 

"How are you?" He asked, softly. 

"I missed you last night," She said, wrapping her arms around his torso. 

"I know…" 

"Never miss out on an opportunity to wreak havoc, do you?" 

Ryou laughed. "It's an old tradition Bakura and I have." 

"Bakura?" 

"My Sire… Perhaps now would be a good time to explain everything to you…" 

"Yes, now would," Kat said, mock-sternly. "It's really cold, so I've got a fire going in the hearth, care to join me?" 

"Sure." They sat down, and Ryou told his entire story, starting from Amane's first full moon. By the time he was finished, it was almost ten in the morning. He'd arrived at seven. "…Now there's a vampire who wants us dead," Ryou said, sighing. "I don't know what he's doing right now, nor do I know who he is. Bakura doesn't want us to be together—but not because he doesn't like you. He thinks the vampire might use you against me." 

"I won't let that happen," Kat said, taking his hand in her own. "I will never let that happen." 

Ryou smiled. Neither of them noticed a hooded figure with gleaming green eyes standing on Kat's deck.  


* * *

Yuugi was asleep when Yami returned to his house to check on him. He had his covers pulled up to his chin, and was shivering a little. Yami found some notebook paper, scribbled a note to him, and left a small lotus flower lying on top of the note. He gave Yuugi a light kiss on the cheek before leaving. 

Yuugi awoke several hours later, still drowsy. He sat up and rubbed the bite mark, which was still stinging. 

"Ow…" He muttered when the bite erupted in pain once again. Then he noticed something on his nightstand. It was a blue lotus, lying on top of a note. Yuugi recognized Yami's handwriting on the note. 

**Yuugi- **

At the time I'm writing this, moonset has come and gone… I'm fine, but I'm worried about you. I hope that wolf didn't bite you. You were asleep when I came to visit, so I didn't get a chance to say what I wanted to. Just know that I love you. There's something I'd like to talk about at some point. Not at school… If you have any free time, you know where to find me. After all, you did last night. 

The flower on top of this note is from my native Egypt. It's a lotus, the rarest kind… A symbol of my affection. 

-Yami 

Yuugi smiled, feeling better. He got up, got a bowl of water and gently placed the lotus inside of it. "I wish I could talk to him today, but Grandpa needs me to watch the store for him…" He muttered. He sighed and flopped down on bed, touching the bite mark again. "I hope this thing heals soon…"  


* * *

The next month passed without much incident. Ryou took the first chance he could get to introduce Kat and Bakura. Bakura didn't seem to mind. He acted rather cold towards Kat, it was true, but Ryou knew that was because he thought that she'd put Ryou in danger. Yami hadn't had much news for Ryou to pass onto Bakura. 

Except on the day of the Full Moon in January. 

"Something's about to happen," Yami hissed to Ryou at lunch. "There's a change in the air… can you feel it?" 

Ryou nodded. "What do you think it is?" 

"I don't know… Tell Bakura for me, will you?" 

"Sure…"  


* * *

"I have news from Yami," Ryou said when he got home. "He thinks something's about to happen…" 

"Something is," Bakura grunted. "The change in the air… I can feel it… I don't know what it means, but—" 

At that point, pain erupted in Ryou's forehead, and he fell to his knees, letting out a hoarse and strangled yell. 

"Ryou?!" Bakura yelled, leaping up. 

"He's got them!" Ryou shouted, eyes squeezed shut, trying to stop the pain of the Vision. "The Vampire… he's got Kat-chan and Yuugi-kun!"

* * *

_**A/N:** _Terribly sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I just needed a lead-up to the climax. Anyway, I think I have two or three chapters left on this story. However, my two muses of YGO! being the way they are, a sequel just might be coming. **Oh, you know it is... evil grin** _Quiet, you! _Right. To Ryou and Yami-sama: SHUT. UP. (mutters) Bad enough you're suppressing Nef' so that I can't work on GN... Ahem. Anyway, I'd like to know if everyone wants a sequel. Everyone who's read and reviewed, please, tell me if you think I should write one. 

And, on another note, if you've read the story, please review: whether you like it or not. If you didn't, please give me CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM only. I don't appreciate flames. Thank you.

(for the record: Ryou the Dark Magician = Muse of YGO!; Yami-sama = Muse of All Things Egypt)

Thanks for your attention!

**::Dark Jedi Princess::**


	9. Saving Grace

_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 9: Saving Grace_**

  
  
"The Vampire… he's got Kat-chan and Yuugi-kun!" Ryou choked out. The Vision reached its peak, then faded, instantly. Ryou stood up, shakily, tears in his eyes. 

"I knew this would happen," Bakura growled. "He's trying to use our loved ones against us! I KNEW this would happen!" 

"You don't have any loved ones, Bakura," Ryou scowled. 

"I have you and Amane," Bakura said softly. Ryou looked a little weirded out. He grabbed his coat. 

"I have to find Yami and tell him. If he doesn't already know." He opened the door, to find Yami standing there already. "Gah!" 

"Yuugi's been taken hostage," Yami said softly. "Rishid came and…" He trailed off, unable to continue. 

"I know," Ryou said, softly. "I had a Vision just now… Kat-chan's been taken captive, too…" 

Yami glanced out the window. "It's almost sunset. This is it…" 

Bakura sighed. "Amane!" 

"What?!" Came Amane's irritated voice. 

"We have to go… Moonrise isn't far away." 

Amane groaned and sat up, having formerly been lying down on the couch. "Alright." 

"Ryou, did you see where they were being held?" Yami asked. 

"Yeah," Ryou choked. "The park." 

"To the park it is, then," Yami sighed.

* * *

An ugly sight greeted them when they arrived. Kat, who had struggled and resisted when Rishid captured her, was covered in cuts and bruises. The smell of her blood filled Ryou's nostrils, causing him to grimace. Kat was unconscious, for the time being. Yuugi, however, was fully awake. He was a little bruised, but not much worse for the wear. Yuugi looked up when he saw the three. 

"Yami-kun! No, stay—" 

"QUIET!" A harsh tenor voice said. The owner whacked Yuugi on the head. "Well, finally, I get to get rid of the threat… I've spent months plotting your demise…" The voice hissed. 

"Who are you," Yami hissed, "To think that you can hurt us in this way?" 

"My name is Malik Ishtar," The vampire hissed, emerging from the shadows of a nearby tree. "My Ghoul's name is Rishid. This city is my territory…" 

Malik Ishtar was dark skinned, like Yami and Bakura. His hair, which fell to his shoulders, was platinum blond, his eyes, a clear, bluish-purple. He wore all black (typical of most vampires), in addition to a dark purple cloak with a golden eye on the hood. 

"We are not territorial creatures, Malik," Yami hissed. "We have a right to be here. This is completely uncalled for." 

"You may not be territorial creatures," Malik said, dangerously. "But I am." He let his fangs and claws grow out. "I'm not without a heart… I'll let you all fight first… before I kill you…" 

"What makes you think you will?" 

"Because," Malik sneered, "I have your lovers here… And if I know the way you'd think… You'd be too worried about them to concentrate…" 

"Don't be so sure about that," Bakura growled. "And anyway… we have an advantage over you." 

"Oh?" Malik sneered. "What's that?" 

"A five-hundred-year-old Werewolf who happens to be my elder sister," Ryou smirked. "And moonrise is in five… four… three… two… one…" 

The moon slowly began to rise over the city. With it, Amane's convulsions began. But what shocked them was that Yuugi was convulsing as well. Yuugi let out a hoarse yell as his features started to shift from human to lupine. 

"AIBOU?!" Yami yelled. 

"Yami-ku—AHHH!" Yuugi's voice faded into a hoarse growl as he finished the transition from human to wolf. He snarled and snapped at the ropes binding him. Amane finished her transformation at around the same time. Ryou hurriedly cast a spell over both werewolves. 

Wolf-Yuugi managed to tear himself free of his bindings. He almost went for Kat, the only human in the vicinity, but Ryou's spell took affect before he could hurt her. Yuugi hung his head, golden yellow eyes gleaming, before whimpering a little and moving over to Ryou. 

/I've got him under control, Yami,/ Ryou said, mentally. 

{Thank you…} Yami's thought speech voice sounded distraught. 

"Well," Ryou said, as he let his true features show as well, "I think I'll play wolf master for the night, then." Yami and Bakura let their features show, too. 

"It's time, then," Malik hissed. "Rishid! Kill them!" 

"COWARD!" Yami screamed. He lunged at Rishid, his claws slashing every bit of Rishid's skin they could find. "You have not the courage to take us on yourself?!" 

Malik smirked. "I'd rather not take my chances," he said, delicately. "And besides, I have other things to take care of…" 

Ryou's eyes widened. Malik was headed straight for Kat. 

"Bastard, don't you TOUCH her!" Ryou yelled. "Yuugi, Amane!" 

The two wolves lunged at Malik and stood in between him and Kat, snarling. 

"Impressive spell work, to bend the minds of werewolves to your will," Malik hissed. "You won't keep me from you lover forever…" 

"I can try," Ryou hissed. 

Malik laughed insanely, and lunged at Ryou, clean over the two werewolves. His claws connected with Ryou's face, creating long gashes. Ryou retaliated, fighting back with all his strength. It never seemed enough, though. Malik always overpowered Ryou. Finally, Malik knocked Ryou to the ground. Ryou was panting, drenched in his own blood. He felt his life ebbing away, slowly, ever so slowly. 

"Ryou!" Bakura yelled. Rishid, who had a long, curved sword in hand, delivered a blow to his gut and Bakura crumpled as well. Yami was the only one left standing. Malik had somehow managed to knock Yuugi and Amane unconscious. 

A low groan sounded from Ryou's right. He strained his eyes and saw Kat stirring. "Kat-chan…" He whispered, hoarsely. 

"And so it ends," Malik hissed, sneering at Yami. "Your Fledgling and his own are dying…" 

"But I'm not…" Yami hissed. He chanted something in Khemetic, and a long sword, longer even than Rishid's, appeared in his hands. With one swipe of the blade he severed Rishid's head. "Malik Ishtar, for your transgressions against myself and my blood family… you will face Final Death." 

"Who do you think you are?!" Malik laughed. "No vampire can order Final Death against another!" 

"You tried," Yami hissed. "I am Atemu, the First." 

Malik's eyes widened, he stood, stunned. "Impossible… Atemu could not have lasted so long…" 

"I have," Yami hissed. "Now DIE!" He swiped at Malik, creating several long gashes in his torso, then, finally, after he felt he had inflicted enough pain, he took Malik's head. When Malik crumpled to ash, Yami ran over to Yuugi and scooped the black wolf into his arms, gently stroking its fur. "Yuugi…" He whispered. 

Kat was awake again, her bindings already torn apart by Yuugi. She made her way, gingerly, to Ryou. 

"Ryou? Ryou? Oh, God, please, don't die…" 

"I—I'm sorry, Kat…" Ryou sighed, closing his eyes. "Would… that I could be there… for the rest of your life… I love you…" 

"No… No… I'm not letting you die!" She screamed. She seized Ryou's hand. "Take my blood… it'll heal you, right? Take my blood." 

"No…" 

"Do it! I can't lose you!" 

Ryou choked, closed his eyes, and bit into Kat's neck, trying to control himself… but he would need every last drop to heal himself. Her heart slowed, and he tore away, not able to go any farther. Kat's head fell against her chest, her breathing hard and ragged. She was dying. 

"Kat…" Ryou choked. He lifted her head and forced her mouth against one of his wounds, the only one that still bled openly. "I'm sorry…" He felt her drinking his blood… she pulled away, panting, before groaning and collapsing. "Oh God…" Ryou choked. "I Embraced her… I…" 

Ryou then passed out cold.


	10. Happier Things

**_A/N & Warning_**: This chapter has lemony-stuff in it, both of the traditional kind and the yaoi kind. It's also my first published yaoi scene, so be nice. You were warned.   
  


_"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you  
I want nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
It's not real, but it's ours 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn 

Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn…"  
"Before The Dawn" by Evanescence 

**_A Vampire's Soul  
Chapter 10: Happier Things_**

  
  
"I think he's waking up…" Bakura's voice said, softly. Ryou cracked open his eyes, and found himself in a dim room. The only light source was the fire that had been lit in the grate. 

"Wh—Where am I?" Ryou muttered, sitting up gingerly. Someone had taken off his shirt, and, surprisingly, all of his wounds had healed. 

"You're in my apartment," Yami said, softly. "It's the closest to the park, so I thought I'd take you all here." Yami was standing next to the couch that Ryou was lying on, Bakura, topless and with bandages covering his sword wound, standing next to him. 

"You've been out for awhile," Bakura said, his voice hushed. "Kat's worried about you." 

"Is she awake…?" 

"Yes… I'm amazed you had the courage to Embrace her." 

"I'll hate myself forever for it," Ryou said, laughing wryly. 

Bakura shook his head, but didn't say anything. 

"How're Amane and Yuugi-kun?" 

"It's not moonset yet, and they haven't regained consciousness," Yami sighed. "So I don't know. They're in my room right now, I let them both lie on my bed." 

Ryou sighed. "I'm sorry about Yuugi-kun, Yami-sama. I hope it wasn't Amane who bit him." 

"Oh no, it wasn't… I saw the wolf that bit him. Amane's a white wolf, and Yuugi was bitten by a brown wolf. Who happened to be male, if my sense of smell isn't failing me." 

Ryou sighed. At that point, Kat squeezed between the two Khemetians(1). "Ryou! Thank God you're okay!" She threw herself on him. 

Ryou pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. 

"For what?" Kat asked, confused. 

"For Embracing you… I took your humanity…" 

"I honestly don't mind…" She muttered. "Really, I don't…" 

"…Thank you…" 

"It's moonset…" Bakura muttered. Yami gasped and dashed into his bedroom as the two werewolves resting inside started transitioning back to human. A low groan sounded from the room as Yuugi and Amane finished their transformations. Yami led both outside. Yuugi's uniform was tattered and ripped in places. 

"What happened?" Yuugi groaned rubbing his head. "I don't remember a thing…" 

"You won't," Amane muttered. 

Together, as best they could, Ryou, Bakura, and Yami explained the night's events. 

As they finished telling the story, Yuugi sighed in relief. "So I didn't kill or hurt anyone? Thank God…" 

"I had you preoccupied with Malik," Ryou said, smiling wryly. 

"Malik…" Yuugi muttered. "He's the one who had me captured… is he dead?" 

"Yami killed him." 

Yuugi glanced mournfully at Yami. Yami pulled Yuugi close to himself, stroking his hair. 

"I think we should all go home," Bakura sighed. "Think about this later." 

Yami nodded. Yuugi stood up to leave, but Yami held him back. "Wait, Aibou," He purred softly. 

Ryou stood up with Kat. As they left the apartment, Ryou stopped her and pulled her close to him. "Can I come back with you?" He said, nuzzling her. 

"Hmmm… I think I know what you're thinking about," She purred seductively. 

"Good girl," Ryou whispered in response. "_Shem…_" 

The transportation spell took them to Kat's apartment, more specifically, to her bedroom. She hadn't bothered to make her bed, which made things a little easier. Her room was a torrent of black and purple, with at least thirty candles, large and small, placed at various points around the perimeter of the room. 

Ryou pushed Kat down onto the bed, kissing her passionately as he did so. He pulled off her shirt, his lips meeting with the soft flesh of her breasts. She moaned in pleasure and her hand went for her trousers. He pulled off the rest of her clothes as she removed his. He pushed into her, again, and again… She moaned in ecstasy. Her hands slid around the small of his back, clutching him close to her. 

Finally, Ryou rolled off of her, and she snuggled up next to him, sighing deeply. Ryou pulled her into his arms, cradling her as though it was the last night they'd ever be together.  


* * *

Yami shut the door to his apartment after saying good-bye to Bakura and pulled Yuugi close to him. 

"You never told me you were a vampire…" Yuugi muttered, burying his head in Yami's chest, allowing himself to melt into the Pharaoh's warm embrace. 

"I'm sorry, Aibou, I wanted to on the December Full Moon, but, well… you were asleep." 

"I guess I shouldn't be criticising you… I hid my bite mark from you…" 

"I knew about it… in fact, I was the one who—" 

"No, the one from the werewolf. Wait… _nani_?" 

"Earlier on… I visited you at night. I only took a little blood from you each time… The visits stopped after that night in December…" Yami trailed off, uncertain about how he should continue. 

"Is that why I was dreaming about you?" 

Yami nodded. "Most likely." 

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me while we're at this?" 

"Yes. I wasn't lying when I said I was from Egypt. But when I was alive, we called it 'Khemet', the Black Land… 'Khem' being our word for 'Black'. That was over three thousand years ago. My real name is Atemu." 

"_Airashii_…" Yuugi muttered. 

Yami smiled. "I adopted the name 'Yami' during the _Sengoku Jidai_(2). I was Pharaoh when I was still alive… when I was but nineteen Bakura showed up, having robbed my father's tomb, and placed a curse on me… the effect wasn't quite what he expected, but nonetheless… I Embraced him out of vengeance after I woke up. I ceased hating him after that… I'd exacted my revenge, and I had no more reason to. I am the first Vampire… Other vampires simply refer to me as 'The First' although most seem to think I'm dead. And one more thing… I was the black wolf that chased away the werewolf that bit you. I'm a Shape-shifter." He took in a deep breath. "I think that's everything." 

"Okay…" Yuugi took in a deep breath. "That's over with…" 

"Yes, it is…" A pause, then, "Well, this is awkward…" 

"Wait, Yami—I—I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the werewolf bite… I just… I didn't want to worry you…" 

Yami leaned over and kissed Yuugi deeply. "I forgive you, Aibou." 

"Uhmmm… Yami?" 

"Yes?" 

Yuugi blushed and gently steered Yami towards the bedroom. "I'm wondering… can vampires still…?" He trailed off, the blush on his face deepening. 

"Oh, we can, last I checked," Yami purred. He nipped at Yuugi's ear. "Why? Is there something you want from me…?" 

They were inside the bedroom now. Yuugi nodded and blushed a little. 

"Last time you weren't ready." 

"I am now…" Yuugi whispered. His lips brushed against Yami's. The tension between the two was almost tangible. 

Yami grinned. "Alright then… I'm just warning you…" He pushed Yuugi down onto the bed, causing the younger boy to let out a surprised, wolf-like yelp. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength," Yami finished, in a whisper, as he climbed on top of Yuugi. 

"Just don't get too rough," Yuugi warned, laughing a little. 

"I won't," Yami purred. He kissed Yuugi with heated passion and undressed him. Yuugi did likewise. He let Yami push into him, moaning and groaning as he repeated the process. 

When Yami was done, he laid down beside Yuugi and gathered the young werewolf into his arms, stroking his hair gently. 

"I am with you always, Aibou," he whispered to Yuugi. "Always…" 

**End.**

* * *

**_A/N:_** Okay! I'm done at last! _Excellent. Now you may move onto other things._ Yay! **But there might be a sequel. evil grin** _Oh yeah. ;;;_. Ahem 'Scuse my muses. Anyway, this fic has officially ended. And as such, I'd like to dedicate it to a few people… 

**To Nadako-Mika:** This is my first canon-like fic, and I think Amy-chan is the reason my muses wanted me to write something that was more similar to the canon than the stories in my mainstream AU. She's also a really good friend of mine from DeviantART. 

**To Damos No Yami:** He read. He never reviewed, but he read. Which I appreciate nonetheless. He also kept me company on the long Friday/Saturday night that I was working on chapter 8. Having an Aussie friend definitely helps matters. And if it weren't for his endless supply of Evanescence, I would never have heard "Before The Dawn", the Theme Song for this story, and without "Before The Dawn", I don't think I'd've finished this story so quickly. 

**And finally, to Kawaii Spinel Queen Of Evil:** For being one of my best friends, for helping me plan this fic out, working out every last detail… and for reading (and reviewing!) it faithfully despite the blatant(?) shounen-ai. 

Wow. Three dedications. XD 

That's it for me! Ja mata ne!  
**::Dark Jedi Princess::**   
  
(1) **Khemetian** – The proper adjective for the language and magic is "Khemetic"; however, for differentiation, I used "Khemetian" for nationality. "Khemet" was Egypt's original name, meaning "Black Land" in their original tongue. Therefore, "Khemetian" is the nationality of the Ancient Egyptians. 

(2) **_Sengoku Jidai_** – Those of you who also watch _Inu-Yasha_ will know what this is. However, those of you who don't may be a little lost. The Sengoku Jidai is the warring states era of Japanese history, IE, Feudal Japan. _Inu-Yasha_ takes place in 1997, and the Sengoku Jidai is approximately five hundred years before hand, thereby placing it around 1497 AD. So Bakura left shortly before he Embraced Ryou.


End file.
